CAR CRASH
by Biddy429
Summary: Yep Edward has gone and left Bella and Bella is destroyed - she decides to get away, far away from Forks to try and forget, she needs space to think and be alone, but something happens on her journey - she is hurt badly, does anyone get to her in time?
1. Chapter 1

_**Welcome to my new story - I have quite a few on the go now so its gonna be hard updating them all on a regular basis but I will do my best! I really hope anyone who reads this one enjoys it and leaves me a review.**_

_**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns everything Twilight - all the characters, everything - even the vampires belong to her - now me, I own nothing, well I own THIS story but then its only on here for a purpose so basically I don't even have an imagination!**_

_**Please read and enjoy…**_

_**THE CAR CRASH - Chapter 1**_

He left me, he left me broken and alone, with a reason that left more questions than answers! Life was so hard without him. Yes I had other friends, well I called them friends but they didn't really care about me anyway it wasn't the same. You meet the love of your life, you think that life could not be any better and then suddenly it all disappears and before you know it, your alone again. I loved him so much and I really didn't want to live without him, there was no life without him, nothing would ever be the same again.

I would sit here for hours looking out the window and wondering just what it was that I did wrong. Did I care too much or perhaps not enough? Was I too ordinary, too human, too demanding, I honestly did not know. He never explained anything to me at all, he just left, taking all of me with him.

I have looked for him everywhere I can think of, I have spent hours looking through the phone books looking for anyone with the surname Cullen. I have tried calling the ones listed but I've not had any success at all. I have tried to contact every hospital in the country to find out if they have a Carlisle Cullen working there, again all to no avail.

He could be simply anywhere in the world by now and the world is just too big a place to look for him, it would take me years. Anyway I don't think I have the energy to spend looking for him so maybe I should just forget all about him, but it is so hard.

I had considered at one point, taking my own life but then decided that would be the coward's way out and I was anything but a coward, at least I didn't think I was. I don't want to go back to school, I don't want to graduate, it's not something I want to do, ever. What would it all be for anyway?

Charlie is so disappointed in me, I can tell he is. He doesn't say much but I just know by the way he looks at me. He worries too but he probably thinks I am stupid for acting like this but I can't help myself!

I need to do something but what I don't know. I need to get away from Forks, from the memories, from this life. I don't want to go back to Phoenix or to my mum that would be admitting defeat and I can't do that. Anyway, Renee has her own life now with Phil and won't want me cramping her style. I don't blame her for that, she has had a hard time bringing me up alone. Don't get me wrong its not that Charlie wasn't involved in my upbringing but living day to day with a child couldn't have been easy when she had to work to make ends meet. I spent holidays and the odd Christmas with Charlie which seemed to help. Forks was such a depressing place whilst I was growing up but since meeting Edward it seemed like the centre of my universe. Now my universe has crumbled and it was just one big black murky hole in my life and I hated it.

No, I need to get away, on my own, far far away from here, from the memories and the pain of it all. I get up from my chair at the window and start throwing some clothes into a bag, jeans and t-shirts, socks, underwear, and toiletries. Not a lot of stuff but enough to keep me going. I look under my bed and find the sock full of money that I have saved for my college fund, my "secret" college fund. I didn't want Charlie to be too out of pocket! I put the contents of the sock into my purse. I then gather my possessions and go downstairs, snagging my heavy jacket from the peg on the way out along with the keys to my truck. Damn, I forgot to leave Charlie a note, maybe I shouldn't bother but then again maybe I should because he will worry. So, I scribbled a short note and told him I was going away for a while, I would be okay but not to worry!

_**Dad,**_

_**I need to get away for a while, don't worry I will keep in touch. I am really sorry for all the worry I have put you through but I hope you understand that I need some space and time alone. I will call as soon as I get a place to stay. Please don't worry about me, **_

_**Love Bella x**_

I put the note into an envelope and scribbled "Dad" on the front of it, it was the least I could do, rather than call him "Charlie", and he was my dad after all!

I turned and cast a last look over the small living room and then calmly walked out the door and climbed into my beloved truck.

Thank goodness the engine started first time, it had been sticking for a while and I had not been using it much, something to do with a silver Volvo! No, I would not think those thoughts right now!

I headed out of Forks, it was raining pretty heavily today and it was bitterly cold. I was glad I had my truck to keep me warm at least. The roads were not great but they were passable and I continued to drive for quite some time.

Dark was fast approaching and I decided that I would try and find somewhere to stop for the night. It was then that I realised that I had been driving aimlessly and then I noticed that I had arrived in Olympia so decided to catch the next ferry over to Seattle. My truck slowed me down a bit so it was nearly four hours when I read the "Welcome to Seattle" sign.

The rain was so heavy now that I was having trouble seeing out of my windscreen. I noticed a light in the distance and I thought to myself "thank god, it must be a motel or something". I got nearer to the light and realised that I was right, it was a motel, a bit dilapidated but a motel all the same. There were a few cars parked outside so there must have been other guests staying the night.

I pulled the truck into an available parking slot and jumped out. I ran from the truck to the motel entrance, I was already soaked by the time I got inside the door. I shook the rain from my hair and then walked over to the reception desk. I was met by a kindly looking woman, she must have been around 55 or so, she had short dark curly hair streaked with grey and was small and plump. She smiled at me and said, "How can I help you dear, what a night it is!"

I replied, "Yes, the rain is getting really heavy and it is so cold outside. I am travelling just now and wondered if you had any rooms for tonight?"

"Yes dear, we have indeed, would you like a single or a double?" she asked.

"Oh just a single please" I replied

"Room 15 then would suit, how many nights?"

"Um, just tonight thanks" I said

"Okay then, that will be $30 including breakfast, is that okay for you?" the woman asked.

"Yes" I said, "that would be lovely"

"Here you go then dear, these are your keys, and your room is out the main entrance and to the right, as I said Room 15. Is there anything I can get you tonight, coffee, tea, something to eat?" the woman asked

"Er, um well if you have any cold meat sandwiches and some bottled water that would be great?" I asked hopefully

"Not a problem, I will get Jodie to bring them to your room" she said with a smile on her face.

"Oh thank you very much" I replied taking the keys from her. I walked out of the motel again and collected my bag from the truck. I turned and walked along to Room 15 and once inside I was pleasantly surprised.

The room was not large by any standards but it was clean. The bed was a single bed, which was dressed in a soft peach coloured duvet with matching pillows. There was a TV in the corner and a bedside table with a lamp on it. There was also an adjoining door which led to the ensuite bathroom. I was really impressed!

I quickly arranged my belongings and got ready for bed, I was so tired. I decided to wait for my food to arrive before having my shower. I did not have to wait too long, there was a soft knock on the door and a girl who I assumed was "Jodie" was carrying a tray with a large plate of sandwiches, enough to feed an army from the looks of it, along with a tall glass filled with ice and a large bottle of water. Also on the tray was a small kettle, a jar of drinking chocolate, milk and sugar.

The girl spoke first "Hi there, mom asked me to bring these to you, I hope you like them, and I made them myself. There are roast beef, chicken and ham sandwiches, mom also said to bring you some coffee and stuff incase you wanted a hot drink because it was such a cold night. I hope that's okay?" she asked me hopefully.

What a nice gesture I thought, "Yes thank you, that was very thoughtful of your mother, please thank her for me and the sandwiches look lovely too" I replied.

"Great, I will go and leave you now, you must be tired, See ya!" the girl said and before I knew she had gone.

I carried the tray laden with goodies to the table at the far corner of the room. I set out the kettle and other items and then headed to the shower.

I thoroughly enjoyed my shower and then decided that I was sit up in bed with a hot chocolate and my sandwiches and watch some TV.

It was not too long before I drifted off to sleep. It was an uneasy sleep and when I woke in the morning I felt quite groggy. I jumped into the shower before getting dressed quickly. I needed to get back on the road as soon as I had breakfast.

Once I was dressed and packed my belongings again I realised that I did not know if I was to go to the dining room, if they had one, for breakfast or stay in my room. Just as I was pondering this thought the phone in the room rang and I answered it. It was the girl called Jodie, "Good morning Miss Swan, I am just calling to ask if you would like breakfast now, it's a full American breakfast and I can bring it to your room for you, say in 10 minutes?"

"Yes, that would be good, thank you very much" I replied.

"You're very welcome" the girl said cheerfully.

Ten minutes later, true to her word, Jodie appeared at my door with yet another tray laden with food. I thought to myself "how much food can one person eat". I did not realise it but when I sat down in front of the tray of food I was actually ravenous and all but ate the plate!

It was time to move on now again but before I did that I needed to phone Charlie and let him know I was okay. I pulled out my cell phone and dialled his number; it rang once before answering;

"_Hi dad"_

"_Bella, where are you, I have been so worried"_

"_Dad, I told you not to worry, I told you I would be okay and I am"_

"_Of course I worry, you're my daughter, so why shouldn't I worry, now where are you and when are you coming home?"_

"_Oh dad, I told you, I just need some time, I need to think and I can't do it in Forks, I just need some space, please?" _

"_Just take care of yourself and phone me as often as you can then, and be careful Bella, please for god sake be careful honey"_

"_Okay dad I will, and I will phone as often as I can, you have my cell phone number anyway so you could always phone me once in a while you know"_

"_Oh, okay, right, I forgot that, stupid father I am, anyway look after yourself and phone your mother too!"_

"_Fine, I will phone her! She will be too busy with Phil anyway but I will phone her. Look, gotta go now dad, take care and speak real soon, love you!"_

With that I ended the call. I felt horrible doing that to my dad, he deserved better than the way I was treating him but I needed to do this for my own sanity.

I got myself ready and left the room and headed over to the main entrance and the reception desk to return my room keys. I paid my bill, expressed my thanks and bid my farewell to the nice lady and her daughter.

I got back into my truck and headed back out on the road. I drove for hours, only stopping occasionally for fuel or to use the lavatories or go for a coffee. I wanted to drive for as long as I could before dark.

I must have been driving for a long time when I seen something skitter across the road in front of me. I tried to slam on my brakes but as the roads were slippy from the torrential rain and the black ice, all of that combined with the fact that my truck was an old age pensioner, my brakes locked and the truck skidded across the road. It must have been around two thirds of the way across the road when I realised that I was moving towards a cliff edge and I could do nothing to stop it.

I tried to fumble my way out of the truck to no avail, the seatbelt would not unfasten, and I was stuck. The truck continued to career across the road and did not slow down at all, I began to scream, wild with panic. I was going to die, I was going to die here in this horrid place and all alone and I would never in my life see Edward ever again.

Life was so unfair!

I closed my eyes and began to pray, don't know why because I never prayed, maybe someone would listen to my prayers though, I could only hope. I felt the truck move as though in slow motion to the edge of the cliff, although it was not slow at all but the scene before my eyes depicted horror of the greatest magnitude to me. The truck dipped over the edge and I clung to the steering wheel with all my mite and then I felt it move down, slowly in mid air, thumping and thudding against the cliff face, yes I was going to die.

The truck rolled and bounced for what seemed like an eternity, continuously throwing me from side to side, despite the fact that I was still trapped by the damned seatbelt.

It eventually came to a loud thud and stopped. I had closed my eyes and did not want to open them to see the sight before me. I did not know if I could open my eyes, I felt liquid run down my face, over my forehead, my eyes, my cheeks and onto my clothes. Was it tears? Was it blood? I slowly opened one eye as much as I could; it hurt, and then looked at my hand which I had touched to my cheek. My hand was covered in blood; there must have been blood everywhere. I gingerly tried to touch my leg; I could feel nothing, not a single thing. Oh my god, what had happened, I was trapped in this wreck and I could not move. I was terrified so I screamed at the top of my lungs.

The pain was everywhere, I could not feel any sensation in my bones but I could feel pain, so much pain. The pain reached a crescendo and then everything around me began to fade. I must not let it fade, fading was bad, I could not let that happen but I was powerless to prevent it, I was so weak and so scared. It was not long before I felt a wave of nausea overcome me and then the darkness engulfed me, yes peace and no more pain, that's what I needed now, rest and sleep, total oblivion.

_**Meantime, with the Cullens.…told from Alice's perspective**_

I was sitting looking through the most recent issue of Vogue. Rosalie was doing her nails and sitting across from me. I sighed, what a boring life we have now, I wish I was back in Forks; at least we would have school and Bella!

I looked at Rosalie and said "Rose, don't you miss school in Forks and don't you even miss Bella a tiny bit?"

Rosalie looked at me with a surprised expression on her face and replied "Well, I suppose I do miss school a bit, it passed the time but Bella, I don't know about her, I mean why would any of us miss a human?" Her voice was full of sarcasm and of course we know the only one of us that doesn't miss Bella is her.

"Oh Rose, that's just plain mean of you, she is nice" I replied.

Rose sighed and said "Okay Alice, she was nice but she was also _human_ and we are not supposed to _like_ humans! Okay, okay, I see you are getting annoyed now, well I didn't hate her if that's what you think but I didn't love her either, I suppose in a small way I do miss her, I know I would rather see her with Edward that him be miserable all the time and if they were back together then we would be back in Forks at school again, so I suppose you are right, I do miss her and school"

"Wow Rosie, you went all out there on that speech eh?" I said playfully and for my efforts Rose picked up another copy of Vogue and launched it at me!

"Hey you don't waste the mags" I said laughing. Suddenly I stopped laughing and sat absolutely still, I think I started to moan and I heard Rosalie's anguished voice from a distance, "Alice, Alice, speak to me, what's wrong, what have you seen, Alice" she said shaking me. "Jasper, Emmett, Edward, come here NOW" she shouted.

Within seconds all three of them had appeared in the room beside us and Jasper walked over to me and sat down at my feet saying very softly, "Alice sweetheart, can you hear me, what did you see, can you tell me?"

For all I wanted to reply to him I just could not, then I felt Edward touch my shoulder and somewhere in my subconscious I could see him freeze in fear then he spoke, "Its Bella, she has had an accident"

Both Rose and Emmett spoke at the same time saying "Another one, what's she done this time, stubbed her toe?"

Edward hissed and growled at them, by then I managed to come out of my trance and was able to speak.

I looked up at Edward and said "Oh Edward, she is hurt and hurt badly, there is so much blood, I don't know if she is alive, her truck and a cliff, its bad, very bad". If I could cry I would have, I was not sure if she was dead or alive.

Edward spoke with fear in his voice, "Where is she Alice, I need to find her, I need to go to her, where is she?"

"Edward, I don't know, my vision did not give me that information, it only gave me the accident, well not all of it, just the part of her truck falling over the cliff….no, wait there is something else…."

Edward is impatient now and urges me to tell him what else I have seen but I ignore him as I need to get the full vision in my head.

Once the vision has finished I look at him again with fear in my eyes and say

"Something ran in front of her on the road throwing her over the side, her brakes locked and the truck skidded on the road, black ice, but Edward, its worse than that, I think it was Victoria who ran her off the road…."

That is when Edward lost it, he put both his hands to his head and threw himself on the ground as though in pain, I could do nothing for him and I wanted to help him, tell him where she was, and take away both her and his pain. I watched as he writhed in agony and then Jasper leaned over to touch him and spread some of his calm over him which seemed to help.

I tried my hardest to get another vision of Bella, it was hard but I tried to think of the landscape where she was and piece together the scenery in the hope that I could find out where she was and I was eventually rewarded.

"Edward, I know where she is, we need to get to her quickly before….."

Edward cut me off at that point by saying "Yes, we will get to her and save her if it is the last thing I ever do. Now tell me exactly where she is Alice?

"Well in my vision I seen her driving from a motel or something, although it had stopped raining, the temperature had dropped making driving conditions really hazardous and there was a lot of ice. Bella was not driving too fast as you know she is a cautious driver" at that point I looked at Edward in an effort to reassure him that she did not do this deliberately and had made every effort to maintain her safety. I already knew that he was angry with her for even venturing out on a night like that but I was going to have to explain how she was feeling just now and why she had left Forks in the first place. Not an easy task.

I continued to tell Edward of my vision "Bella had been driving along a particularly bad patch of road when something skittered out in front of her, as I said earlier it was another vampire Edward, and I am positive it was Victoria but I did not get a clear picture of her"

"Okay Alice I know most of that already but what I need to know is where is she, I need to get to her before Victoria hurts her more than she is already hurt" said Edward

"Okay, well I _think_ she is at the junction heading into Vancouver.

"Right, we need to get a move on then" said Edward looking at both of his brothers, Emmett and Jasper. Emmett said "I will go and get the jeep out, Jazz are you coming with me?"

Jasper replied "Well, I think I should go with Edward and Alice. Rosalie should go with you of course and maybe Esme too. Carlisle can come with us" All of them nodded in agreement.

Edward picked up his cell phone and called Carlisle and Esme and explained the situation to them, Carlisle said that he would be home within 5 minutes and they would be ready to leave in ten.

Once they were all packed and ready to go, Alice walked over to Edward and put her hand on his shoulder and said in a reassuring tone "Edward, I have not seen a vision of Victoria hurting her so please don't worry too much right now"

Edward sighed and shook his head "Yes Alice I know but it is only a matter of time and I honestly do not know what I will do if I am too late to save her. If she is hurt and Victoria is out there, she will smell her blood and then she will be lost. We need to get there quickly Alice or…". He could not go on.

They all climbed into their respective vehicles one Carlisle and Esme had returned. The first thing that Esme did was what any mother would do, she reached for Edward and gave him a hug to reassure him of her love and support.

Esme loved Edward like no other son, he was her "first" and he held a special place in her heart, although her heart was technically dead but vampires had feelings too and they could love and hate just like the next person and Esme was basically no different from any other mother.

Carlisle also offered his support and reassurance but he was more concerned about arranging for necessary medical supplies to treat Bella with when he arrived on the scene. He hoped that he would be able to help her and that there was not too much blood. It would be hard enough to tend to her wounds and such without having to keep his family at bay from trying to suck her blood. He felt guilt for having even thought of such a thing but then they had never had a human become so involved in their lives before.

Once Carlisle had gathered as many medical supplies as he would need he too climbed into the car and they proceeded to head off in the direction that Alice had advised them. Alice was thinking hard about co-ordinates and trying to get her bearings on where Bella's truck was. It was quite difficult as she had not looked for her for such a long time.

Edward had told her not too look for Bella, no matter what she felt for her, it would not be fair to look for her and watch her when they could not be involved in her life. He could only thank the powers that be for her looking for her now as she needed him, whether or not she wanted him was a different matter.

He resolved to find her and help her no matter what and if she still loved him then that would be a bonus, if he were given a second chance then he would take it. He could not live without her and every day was becoming harder and harder for him and he had been so close to returning to Forks anyway but it was so unfortunate that it was this way he was returning to his love.

He would need to take some time and reassure her that he did love her and explain why he had left her in the first place. It would take some doing but he was willing to try and make the effort.

They had been driving for around an hour when Edward noticed that Alice was sitting totally still. "Alice, what's wrong, is she okay, has Victoria found her?". Edwards voice was laced with fear, which was some feat for a vampire!

Jasper put his hand on her cheek and said softly "Alice honey, what's wrong, what did you see?".

At that point, Alice shook her head as though she needed to clear her mind and said "I know where Bella is, she is trapped in her truck at the bottom of a ravine. She is bleeding badly but she is alone. No one has found her yet and I think she has been there fore a while. No doubt she will end up with hypothermia!".

Edward growled and hissed at Alice to indicate that he would not be happy if she had hypothermia or anything. Even is she did, he would look after her.

"Edward, we should be arriving at the crash scene in 5 minutes and 14 seconds exactly".

"Thank you Alice" replied Edward. "Alice look, skid marks on the road, do you think this is where it happened?"

"Yes Edward, it is the exact spot!"

The two cars pulled into the side of the road and the inhabitants from each car walked to the ridge of the cliff. They all looked down and around for a red Chevy truck but seen nothing. Edward meantime was standing at the cliff edge also and peered through the darkness for Bella and the truck. It was not long before he was rewarded for his efforts so he signalled to the others to bring the medical supplies and help him down to where she was. He needed to be with her now, _especially_ now.

He ran down the cliff side and reached the truck within a matter of seconds. He was shocked when he looked into the cabin, it was empty! Where on earth was Bella, all there was in the truck was a pool of blood, fresh blood too!

_**Well, I really hope you liked it - you know the drill - review please - remember it doesn't cost a thing!**_

_**A special thank you to MissJayJay aka Jennifer who did my beta for me - thank you!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Welcome to Chapter 2 of Car Crash **_

_**I really hope you like it - if you do and even if you don't please leave a review - it would mean the world to me and to Edward and Bella!**_

_**There seems to be more Edward than anything in this story - not that I am complaining, I am the one writing it after all but I have not got around to Bella saying much yet! It is not going to be a long story - so the Cullens I think have featured in it as much as they are going to - ideas for expansion are welcome indeed.**_

_**As usual the disclaimer: I own nothing, not even Twilight, I don't own the characters either, they are visiting my laptop for a while! Stephanie Meter rules!**_

_**Who has read the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - what do you think of it? PM me and let me know!**_

_**Read on McDuff….**_

_**Chapter 2 - Car Crash**_

I stood by the truck in utter disbelief, I could not believe there was so much blood and no sign of Bella. I was almost frantic with worry and fear, yes a vampire feeling fear, a strange emotion to feel but an emotion all the same. I loved this girl so much, I would do anything to make sure she was safe and sound. I could not do this right now however as my most immediate concern was to find her. I looked at Alice and hoped that she could tell me something from her visions, the look on Alice's face told me what I wanted to know.

"Alice, what can you see, tell me please?" I asked

"Edward, I can tell you that Bella is alive, she is badly hurt but alive. I think…..yes, she is safe…."

I cut Alice off as I am so impatient to find out where she is, I must get to her and help her, "Alice please, does Victoria have her, if so where are they?" I snap impatiently.

"Wait…I can see her now Edward, she is safe, I can see that much. I thought it was Victoria that had her but it is not, if she had Bella I would see but she is gone, I can't see her now….in fact I can't see anything other than Bella, I am trying to push for more but I can only see Bella alone…she is hurt, hurt badly, but alive, safe," Alice closes her eyes and sighs in frustration. "I am trying to get some idea of where she is exactly….".

"Alice….?" I said impatiently but I know it's not her fault if she can't see.

"Edward, this takes time and when I can't really see properly…. oh I don't know why I can't see…" says Alice with confusion in her voice.

I stop for a moment and let her think, I don't want to interrupt her too much or put her off course with her thoughts. I don't understand however why she cannot see who Bella's "saviour" is, Alice can usually see everyone, humans because she once was one and vampires because she is one. So for her to say she cannot see someone means that this is someone or something different, but what?

I did not have to wait long for her answer, "Yes!" she said in exultant voice.

"What?" I ask

"She is in a sort of cave like place around a mile or so from here, through the woods and near a stream. We can follow her scent but I can smell something else, can't you smell it Edward?" asks Alice.

I close my eyes for a moment and inhale the air around me, "You're right Alice I can smell something else, it is disgusting, it is almost like a wet dog smell, it stinks" I said wrinkling up my nose in distaste.

"Okay then, lets get going, if we are going to find her and get her some medical help" said Alice

Before long we were heading through the woods, running as fast as the wind, branches reached out to trail across our faces and the wind gust past us as we ran. It did not take long to reach the place where we thought Bella was. It was near a wide lake with a waterfall behind it, the mouth to the cave was hidden behind a cluster of bushes which were overgrown enough to give the inhabitants a good level of protection should the weather turn for the worst. I decided to slow down at the mouth of the cave, I **so** wanted to go in but the smell of wet dog was overpowering and I was not sure what I would meet when I got inside.

I stood back slightly and motioned for Alice to join me and I whispered to her, "I can hear a very soft but slow heart beat, I think it is Bella, infact I am sure of it" Alice nodded at this and I continued, "If there is someone with her then why can I not hear any other sounds, like another heartbeat? Alice, are you sure it is not Victoria?"

"Edward, I have told you, I would know if it was Victoria or any other vampire, so it is definitely not her" says Alice shaking her head, "I don't know what or who it is as I cannot see them, oh…..eeeeeeew, Edward, that is a disgusting smell, what a stink!" Alice muttered in disdain.

"Come on Alice, enough procrastinating here, we need to go in, get Bella and help her so come on".

We walk into the cave and there in the dark recess of the cave I see a sight that would break my heart into a million little pieces, if I had a heart that is. There before me lay my love, my Bella, swaddled in a blanket, her face covered in scratches and blood, bruises were appearing all over her face and although I could not see, no doubt all over her body. I knelt down beside her and gently laid a hand on her cheek, she moaned very softly, she was either in a deep sleep or unconscious and I feared that the latter was the truth. I gently lifted the blanket and realised then that it was almost drenched in her blood.

The smell alone of the blood burned my throat, but what I felt for Bella took precedence over my need for the scent or thirst for her blood. My love for her burned stronger than ever. I looked at Alice who seemed to be trying to hold her breath and I was pleased that my sister could make the effort, it must have been hard for her but she was being strong.

I gently moved the blanket back from her legs in an effort to ascertain the extent of her injuries and I realised that both of her legs were badly broken and bore deep cuts which were bleeding profusely. I checked her arms, her left arm was fine but her right arm was sitting in an awkward angle, obviously broken too. I made a quick check over the rest of her body looking for broken bones, cuts and bruises. There were many cuts and bruises and no doubt she would have either broken or badly bruised ribs.

"My poor girl, my love" I whispered to her as I leaned down to kiss her forehead, "I am so sorry my love, for leaving you, I will never do so again, I love you".

"Edward, we need to get her out of here, can you carry her?" whispered Alice, to which I replied,

"Yes Alice I will carry her. Whoever was here has lifted her from the vehicle and basically saved her life Alice and I think I might know who it was judging from the stench in this cave"

"Oh, who Edward? Please tell me because I really could not see at all, who was it?" asked Alice.

"I think it was Jacob Black, one of the Quileute tribe, the ones who have the wolf gene and who turn into wolves when they are in close proximity to vampires. Bella has known him for a long time so he may have found her and moved her here for safety, perhaps he will be returning with help but she will not be here, I am going to take care of her now, not Jacob Black" I say with determination.

"Okay Edward, well that explains why I could not see him, I can't see wolves or rather "dogs", yes I think you might be right" Alice says nodding to me.

I gently move my arms under Bella's broken body, taking the greatest care not to hurt her further and make sure that she was comfortable in my arms. It did not take me long to get her out of the cave and begin running with her. I made sure that she was not jostled in any way. It was not long before we made it out on to a main road, I decided then that I could not carry Bella the entire way to a hospital so I asked Alice to steal a car for us which she very quickly did. Not the fanciest car I had ever seen but serviceable and more than appropriate to transport Bella. The vehicle was infact a large Cherokee Jeep which had a lot of space and power. I gently laid Bella on the back seat and climbed in beside her. Alice took the wheel and before long we were racing along the freeway to the hospital. I phoned ahead to Carlisle and told him what we were doing. He contacted the hospital on our behalf and explained that an emergency was on the way in.

Carlisle has worked in a variety of hospitals around the country and was very well thought of in the medical world. He had also held quite a prominent position at the hospital in this area and because of this made arrangements to be in attendance when we arrived.

We very quickly, thanks to Alice's madcap driving arrived at Vancouver General where we were met by a very relieved and concerned Carlisle. Bella was placed on a gurney and taken straight through to the ER where Carlisle began to check her injuries. I proceeded to give him a run down on what I already knew as I had studied medicine a number of years ago and had some base knowledge. Also on our arrival at the hospital I noticed that the entire Cullen clan had made the journey to the hospital which I greatly appreciated, it went to show how much they loved and cared for my Bella and I was truly grateful for their support.

Alice had parked the car, making sure that there were no fingerprints or anything to identify either us being in the vehicle or indeed Bella. She then took her place beside Jasper in the hospital waiting area. Emmett, Esme and Rosalie were already gathered there also.

I was relieved that Carlisle was in attendance and immediately went into doctor mode and for want of a better word, automatic pilot, treating Bella with the utmost care.

"Edward, can you tell me exactly what has happened to her?" asked Carlisle

"I think she was ran off the road Carlisle, and I think it may have been Victoria, her car went over a cliff and when we got to it she had been removed from the vehicle. We found her in a cave nearby. I think that one of the Quileute wolves took her there so maybe they will be returning with help for her but I decided not to wait and bring her here. She has lost a lot of blood Carlisle, I also think she has broken both her legs, her right arm and some ribs. She has numerous gashes all over her body and her face."

Carlisle began giving out orders to the emergency room staff, asking for specific pieces of equipment to be brought in. Before long Bella was attached to a wide variety of machines, all you could hear in the room were the bleeping of different monitors.

Carlisle spoke next "She needs an immediate blood transfusion, nurse, please call the blood bank and make arrangements for Bella's blood type to be brought up, thank you".

Carlisle continued "Edward, we will need to assess her injuries, she may need surgery, but first we need to find out how much blood she has lost. Are you strong enough to stay and watch? If so, please stay back and let the experts do their job" he said looking at me with concern in his eyes.

"I am not leaving her Carlisle, I cannot leave her, not now, I have done enough damage and anyway I need to be here for her to make sure she is okay".

Carlisle nodded his agreement and said quietly "She knows you are here Edward, I am sure of that".

Earlier when I had realised the extent of Bella's injuries I was shocked, never in 109 years of my existence had I ever seen something so tragic, my hands had been shaking trying to help her. That was something that I had never experienced before as a vampire, sheer terror and fear, but then I had never been in love like this before. Alice had noticed my renitence and moved towards me in an effort to take over. I refused to relinquish the task to her, I needed to be there fore her, to help her, to talk to her and give her reassurance.

The medical staff were quite adept in cleaning the blood from her face and body and I marvelled at their ability to do so. I really needn't have bothered thinking this way as I then remembered that they were human and this was normal for them, it was only Carlisle and myself that were the unusual ones in the room.

It was not long before X-rays were carried out and Bella's legs were both placed in casts, also her arm was secured in a cast and all of her other injuries attended to. What worried me most was the fact that she was still unconscious but Carlisle explained to me that this would be normal due to the large amount of blood loss that she had experienced.

Her ribs were bound and I dreaded to think the level of pain she would be in, my poor Bella, there would not be a single muscle that she could move without feeling pain. Bella was also on a high dose of Morphine for her pain and this would mean that she would be unconscious for longer than expected. No matter, I was willing to stay here and comfort her for as long as it took and longer still, forever it need be. I was not going anywhere.

Once the medical team had treated her and managed to get her to a stable condition she was moved to a side room. Carlisle made sure that she had a room to herself which was good. I took my place beside her bed, holding her hand and talking to her, saying soothing words to her in the hope that she could hear me.

I began to hum her lullaby to her very softly and at that moment I was sure that if I could have done so I would have wept for her pain.

It must have been hours that I sat there, I was not counting the seconds or the minutes, I had too much to think of, I had only thoughts for my love. Nurses came and went, checking her statistics and taking notes on a regular basis. Carlisle called in regularly to check on her also.

There came a soft knock to the door and I said quietly "come in". The door opened and in walked Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie.

"Hi mom" I said and smiled at my family.

Esme whispered "Oh Edward, the poor girl, how is she?"

"Not too good mom, she has lost a lot of blood and has multiple injuries including broken legs and a broken arm, she is going to need a lot of care and recuperation".

"Oh dear, does her father know" asked Esme

I nodded and said "Yes he does but he is on a high profile case in Seattle right now and cannot get here. Carlisle has been in contact with him and keeping him up-to-date on her recovery"

"It must be awful for him being so far away from his only daughter but at least she has you Edward" said Esme and leaned over to kiss Bella lightly on the forehead.

"Well I had better get home now and let her recover in peace, Alice and Jasper are you going with Rose and Emmett?"

It was Alice who replied "Yes we are" and walked over to kiss Bella and then wrap me in as big a hug as a tiny sister can give. "Take care Edward, and don't worry too much, I have seen that she will be okay, it wont be long now before she wakens and you can talk, but not for long okay, she will be exhausted" Alice says with a soft smile on her face.

"Thanks little sister, what would I do without you?" I said to which Alice promptly stuck out her tongue!

Both Jasper and Emmett both reached over to Bella, each kissing her on the cheek. Jasper said "Take care of her Edward, she needs you"

"Don't I know it Jasper, don't I know it".

Emmett was next to speak after kissing Bella and said "Okay Bro, you look after that little lady or I will be after your blood!"

"Very funny Emmett!" slapping him on the shoulder. Sometimes Emmett really got to me, he never seemed to have a serious side but he was a good guy.

Lastly Rosalie moved towards Bella but did not make any movement towards her.

I said "What's wrong Rose?"

"Oh nothing really Edward, its just that I feel so awful for being so mean to Bella before and I just feel that this might not have happened if I had been a bit nicer to her"

I stood up to put my arms around my other sister then and said "Rose, please don't blame yourself for this, it was not your fault, if anyone is to blame then its me, anyway she is going to be fine and you can always make it up to her later okay?"

"Thanks Edward, your not really that bad a brother really" she said laughing. "Give Bella my love please when she awakens"

"I will do Rose, don't worry"

With that they turned and left the room.

I took my seat again beside my love and could not help thinking of how distant Rose was from Bella. Surely she did not feel that threatened by her anymore, I know that at first s he was jealous of her and I could not understand that one at all. Rosalie's problem was that she always had to be in the forefront all the time and she never took second place. I always knew that she would feel like this when I met someone, don't get me wrong it is not because I am big headed or anything but its because when she was first turned she was supposed to be my mate and because I did not show the same interest she never truly forgave me. Maybe it was time for that now, I hoped so.

"Edward" Carlisle said quietly, I had not heard him enter the room.

"Yes Carlisle?" as I looked up to meet his eyes.

"I see you have stayed with her son, you have been talking to her? She _will_ be okay, you _do_ know that, don't you? She has lost an awful amount of blood but the x-rays and scans I have taken have shown that there is no lasting damage. She is a very lucky girl. All she needs now is some TLC and someone to look after her" said Carlisle

I nodded in agreement and said "Of course I will stay with her Carlisle, I cannot begin to tell you how relieved I am to have found her and find out that she will be okay, I love her so much Carlisle, I cannot live without her"

"I know Edward, I know" he said inclining his head to me.

Carlisle quietly left the room again leaving me alone with my Bella, my love.

I must have sat with her for hours just sitting holding her hand and talking to her, telling her about the good times we had before I left. I spoke about the times when we went running, well I would run and she would climb onto my back, she loved the wind in her hair. She even got used to the speed I ran at and she didn't need to keep her eyes closed at all anymore. Not like the first time when she was almost sick! That was the first time I had kissed her too and I will never forget that day for the rest of my existence. I just hope now that she will recover and let me love her again so that we can spend even more days together. She is so beautiful and good and kind and I really do not deserve her at all.

"_Bella, I know you cant hear me, but I want to tell you that I love you, I have always loved you and I always will. I left you because I thought it was the best thing to do, to let you have a normal life, a life without fear, a life with happiness and sunshine. Leaving you was the hardest thing I have ever done in 100 years and I cannot believe that I have caused you so much hurt and pain. I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am for hurting you so much. I don't deserve to ask for your forgiveness, I do not deserve to expect you to love me again but I hope that you do because I do not know how I will live without you. I love you my darling, I love you so much"_

I must have sat for hours just watching her face and holding her hand. Her beautiful face was marred with bruises and cuts, yes they would heal, but this would not have happened if I had not left her. I will never forgive myself for allowing this to happen to her.

Dawn was creeping through the windows when my love stirred, I leaned forward, eager to look into her eyes and see her face clearly for the first time in a long while. Her eyelashes flickered very slightly and she very slowly opened her eyes. Initially she did not focus much but it was not too long before she managed to focus on my face. Her eyes widened and she smiled a very soft and gentle smile.

"Hi" I said softly, "how do you feel?"

"Awful" she replied in a very groggy voice which was barely audible.

I leaned over and pressed my lips to her forehead and caressed her cheek. She turned her cheek into my palm and I noticed a tear slip from the corner of her eye.

I was appalled at the sight of her tears "Bella, are you in pain, can I help you, will I get you some pain relief?"

"N….n…no" she stuttered, "I…..I'm o..ook..ay really, y…yo…you've c..c..come ba…ck, wh..why?"

"Oh Bella, I came back because I love you and I should never have left you in the first place. I am so sorry for everything" I answered.

"J…j…ust k..k..isss m..me?" she pleaded

"Yes my love" I leaned over to her and gently placed my lips on hers, I very softly kissed her taking care not to hurt her. I had missed her so much and at that precise moment I realised exactly what I had missed. I was never going to leave her again for as long as I existed.

I whispered against her lips "I love you Bella" and was rewarded with a softly spoken "_I love you more Edward"_. I closed my eyes and thanked the heavens above that she still cared so much for me after what I had done to her.

When we eventually pulled apart, Bella asked me what had happened to her so I explained to her that she had a car accident, I had found her and brought her to the hospital. I told her that she had been treated for her injuries and would be well cared for in the hospital. I told her that I would be taking her home to our house in Forks as soon as she was well enough to be discharged and I would spend every second of every minute, every minute of every hour and every hour of every day looking after her, for the rest of eternity.

I could see that Bella was very tired by this time so I buzzed for the nurse to ask for some more medication to help her sleep and ease her pain. This was arranged to be administered, once the nurse had done this and completed her final checks for the night I decided to lie on top of the bed beside her and put my arms around her to console her and keep her safe. It was not long before she dropped off to sleep. Once again I held my love in my arms, she was in pain but she was safe and content in my arms, as was I.

_**Well folks, that's Chapter 2 for you - you know what you need to do now, go on you know you want to - review!**_

_**It's free and painless to do it and it does take long to write a couple of words - good or bad, its all welcome, go on DO IT NOW - REVIEW…**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Previously on car crash…_

_I could see that Bella was very tired by this time so I buzzed for the nurse to ask for some more medication to help her sleep and ease her pain. This was arranged to be administered, once the nurse had done this and completed her final checks for the night I decided to lie on top of the bed beside her and put my arms around her to console her and keep her safe. It was not long before she dropped off to sleep. Once again I held my love in my arms, she was in pain but she was safe and content in my arms, as was I._

**Chapter 3 - **_**This is a chapter where Edward muses about his feelings for Bella….**_

Bella slept soundly, all that I could hear in the room was the even sound of her breathing and the gentle beat of her heart. Oh how I missed the sound of her beating heart. I could not believe that I had nearly lost her, and for what. I was always putting her life in jeopardy, even when I was not around, I was doing it. What would have become of her if I had not found her when I did, I shudder to think.

My love stirred in my arms slightly and each time I made sure that she was safe, cocooned in my arms. I sang her lullaby softly to her, low enough for only her ears and no-one else. I looked at her face now restful in sleep and could not believe the pain that she had endured. It was going to take some time for her to recover but I would be there for her, every step of the way.

Her leg was in plaster, as was her arm and the simple act of moving was going to be not only painful for her, but extremely awkward. Bella was not exactly known for being graceful but this was different, she would find this confining and horrible but I would help her. I would do everything for her that she could not do, well almost everything. Alice would help with anything that I was unable to help with, I was sure of that.

I hoped that when she woke up she would believe me that I was here to stay. That day in the woods when I left her, I found it hard to believe that she accepted my lies, when I told her that she was not good for me, she accepted it so easily. I never understood why. It took me so long to convince her that I loved her but it took mere seconds to convince her otherwise.

I was always so sure of my feelings for her, I still am but I did not realise how fragile her feelings were, she had some hideous thought that she was not good enough for me, that somehow I was too good for her, how stupid that idea was, it was so much the opposite. I did not deserve her, I would never for as long as I existed deserve her, she was perfection to me.

I looked again at her face, no longer did it hold the perfection I loved but it would again soon, when she healed. I wish I could take away her pain, take away the wounds she had, I did not want her to suffer ever. Her pain was my pain and I for one found it hard to bear so I could only imagine what she was suffering.

I watched the dawn light creep through the blinds, a shaft of sunlight hit the bed and across my face. I noticed the effect of the sun on my face swirl across the room leaving almost a trail of diamonds reflecting throughout the room. Just at that moment my love opened her eyes slightly.

The light in the room must have been too bright as she blinked repeatedly and I moved to block the light from her eyes. Not the best thing for a glittering vampire to do at dawn.

I heard a soft gasp from her lips and then a whisper "Edward, you are really here?"

"Of course my love, I am here, I have been here all night and I will be here for all the rest of the days and nights in your life"

"Oh Edward, please just hold me, I need you please"

"Hush my love, it is going to be alright"

"Edward, everything hurts so much, please take the pain away" said Bella almost sobbing.

"I will get the nurse, you need some more pain relief"

"No, don't leave me, please" pleaded Bella

"I won't leave you Bella don't worry, I am just going to press the buzzer"

I rose from the bed and reached for the buzzer, no sooner had I pressed the button but a nurse came through the door saying softly "Hello, what can I do for you dear?" she said to Bella.

"Ooooh, everything hurts, so much, please….?" mumbled Bella., her voice laced with pain and suffering.

I spoke to the nurse then "She is in a great deal of pain nurse and I think she needs some more pain relief, can you help her?"

"Yes of course, I will get another syringe of morphine for her, it will help her sleep and ease her pain, if you give me a minute or two I will be back, is that okay?" directing her question at myself.

"Certainly nurse" I agreed.

The nurse turned and left the room. Meantime Bella was crying and I did my very best to help her. I gently moved my fingers on her forehead in an effort to calm her while humming her lullaby very softly to her. It did seem to work but I could tell she was still in some degree of pain.

The nurse was not long in returning and when she did so she quickly set about attaching the new syringe of morphine to the pump that was already set up. As soon as this was completed she pressed the pump to release the first dose of morphine.

She then turned to Bella to check her temperature and pulse then recorded all of the information on her chart. She then bid her goodbye and left the room.

By this time Bella was a lot calmer and did not seem to be in as much pain at all. Her breathing settled and she seemed to fall back into a sleep.

I decided that I should perhaps give her some time to rest and not bother her by lying on the bed beside her so I sat in the armchair by her bed, holding her hand and simply watching her sleep. I would never get tired of watching her sleep, she was absolutely stunning in slumber, not that she would ever believe me if I told her that. She would not believe a lot of things that I thought about her if I told her. I had tried to tell her how beautiful she was on many occasions however she scoffed at me every time.

She really did not see herself clearly at all, she did not realise how beautiful her chocolate brown hair was flowing down her back, nor did she realise the depth of the melting brown of her eyes that a person could get lost in, she did not realise the creamy silky smooth skin she had and she certainly did not appreciate the beautiful blush that crept up her cheeks when she was embarrassed. Basically she did not see what I could see, she did not realise that I loved every little thing about her, no matter how small it was, she was beautiful beyond comprehension.

One day, just one day I would convince her of her beauty.

I had never in my 109 years of existence met anyone such as Bella. I had never met anyone that I had any feelings for such as this and I had been thinking that I never would. I was about to resign myself to an even lonelier life that I already had. A life spent writing music, learning to play various instruments, learning different languages, reading, playing various sports, travelling, investing in the stock market, buying fancy cars and many more activities that took up the long boring hours of my existence.

Since I had met Bella I had not done very much of these things at all, well I had written a piece of music and played it for her but that was all really. I had found better things to spend my time doing, like being with Bella, getting to know her, making sure she was safe, loving her and caring for her. My life was nothing until now and I could not believe that I had managed to exist for over 100 years not knowing this kind of happiness.

Now I knew how my family all felt, I understood the link between them and their mates. Carlisle and Esme, always so much in love and always looking out for one another. Rosalie and Emmett always so passionate with one another, never venturing far from each other and lastly Alice and Jasper, a silent love affair between them, a gentle touch here and there, each one knowing that the other was always close and making sure they were each okay. It was a wonderful feeling and if I played my cards right Bella and I would be like that too.

I would do anything, anything at all to make sure that my love was happy, that she stayed with me and I with her, she deserved some happiness and as far as I was concerned I was going to make sure she was going to get as much happiness as she wanted, if it was the last thing that I ever did.

I sat there for four hours, twenty five minutes and seventeen seconds holding my loves hand in mind. She did not move a muscle, not once in all that time and I was relieved that she was finally getting some rest. Rest is what she needed most so that she could recover, both physically and mentally.

I pondered over a few things as my love slept, one of them in particular was my sister Rosalie. She did not like Bella much, I knew that. Rosalie was a very vain person and she felt threatened by Bella, something I understood but I honestly don't think Bella understood Rosalie's feelings.

There were times when I thought I would never really understand the female mind, and sometimes I thought I was pleased that I couldn't understand it, probably like most men!

Anyway, Rosalie was quite distraught herself tonight, she even got to thinking that this was somehow all her fault for not taking to Bella and being to mean to her but I gave her my reassurances on that score as I was the only one to blame for this. If I had been here in the first place then Bella would not be lying here in a hospital bed now. If I could just go back and change everything then that would be good, but that was an impossible task.

As I said, I gave Rosalie as much reassurance as I could and it was now simply down to her to make things work between her and Bella when she recovered. I could not guarantee that Bella would be all that happy but I knew she would give it a good try as she hated anyone having any ill feelings towards her.

I sat there and mused over the things I was going to do with Bella when she recovered. I was going to spoil her with gifts even though she would refuse them, I would still buy her what I wanted to give to her. The first on the list would be a brand new car, something safe, fast and strong. Something virtually indestructible, as after all she was nothing but human and fragile and very important to me. I would make sure that she would never be hurt like this again.

Bella was stubborn girl and there was always going to be some things we would never agree on and a new car was definitely going to be one of them, but I was not going to listen to her, infact I already had one in mind!

First thing in the morning, as soon as Alice arrived I would go to the dealers and place an order for a Mercedes Guardian which would be the best option for her, its bullet-proof and indestructible, yes I though, she would hate it I knew but she needed to be kept safe.

I would also make sure that I was with her as much as I could, and if not then Alice would have to keep tabs on her. She would be at school throughout the day so that would be easy enough and when she got home she would be with Charlie but I would always be close by. At night whilst she slept I would be with her, although her father would not know as I would climb in the window. I would do everything in my power to keep her safe for as long as it took.

I would need to speak to Charlie in the morning too to find out how on earth this happened. How did her truck end up where it had, was she ran off the road, if so, who did it. I thought at first that it might be that bitch Victoria but then if it had been she would have killed her there and then and not given me the option to save her. Who took her from the car crash site anyway, it must have been one of the wolves as there was a heavy scent of them in the cave where we found her. There again it might have been them who scared her off the road, I would not be surprised if it had been.

No matter who it was, I would find out and I would rip them apart with my bare hands.

I would do anything, anything at all within my power to make sure that Bella was never hurt again, not by me, not by anyone or anything, and if they did try to hurt her then they would die!


End file.
